Lawyer sent legal notice to ban ‘Mangal Shobhajatra’on 1st Baishakh

Staff Reporter :
Mentioning the Mangal Shobhajatra is unconstitutional, illegal and artificial, a Supreme Court lawyer sent a notice seeking ban on the celebration at Pahela Baisakh.
SC lawyer Mahmudul Hassan has sent letter to the Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka and the Dean of the Fine Arts Faculty of Dhaka University. Hassan also sent it to the Culture, Religion, and Home Secretaries.
The notice alleges that the event is causing harm to religious beliefs and disrespecting Islam.
Supreme Court lawyer Md. Mahmudul Hasan has urged immediate action to halt the ‘Mangal Shobhajatra’ celebration, which is a prominent feature of the Bengali New Year festival.
Hasan stated that the event is unconstitutional and illegal, and has asked the concerned parties to take prompt action to stop it. If no action is taken, he has warned that a writ may be filed in the High Court. Hasan expressed concern that the event is scheduled to take place in just a few days and has sent a notice to this effect.
The ‘Mangal Shobhajatra’ procession is organized across the country during the Bengali New Year, with the Faculty of Fine Arts at Dhaka University being the main event, according to Supreme Court lawyer Md. Mahmudul Hasan, if this event is halted, it may not be held in other parts of the country either.
In a legal notice, Hasan has expressed his concern that the ‘Mangal Shobhajatra’ is an artificial activity that has been introduced into Bengali culture and is not an integral part of the traditional celebration of Pahela Boishakh.
Hasan believes that for thousands of years, Bengali people of different religions have celebrated Pahela Boishakh with mutual respect for each other’s religions. The notice urges for the cessation of the ‘Mangal Shobhajatra’ procession.
According to a legal notice, the ‘Mangal Shobhajatra’ procession, previously known as ‘Anando Shobhajatra’, was introduced on Pahela Baisakh. The notice claims that using the term ‘Mangal’ is a religious term, and showcasing sculptures of animals and birds in the procession hurts the religious sentiments of Muslims, which violates Article 2 (a) of the Bangladesh Constitution. Additionally, the notice warns that insulting Islam is punishable under Section 295 (a) of the Penal Code.